Envelop-fastener.



No. 889,269. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

E. B. STIMPSON. ENVELOP FASTENER.

APPIPIOATION FILED JULY 18. 1907.

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EDWIN n. s'riMPsoN, or

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citizen of the United States, and a resident of lCri Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain lm# proveniente in. Envelop-Fasteners, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in envelop fasteners such as are adapted for detachable engagement with the closing flaps of mailing and other envelope to permit of holding the same securely closed whileallowing the fla-ps tov be readilyopened for inspection of the contents, and the object of the invention is to provide a fastener of thisgeneral character of a simple and comparatively inexpensive nature having improved means of attachment to the body of the envelop whereby the 4device is rendered less liable to be torn therefrom during'- use.

The invention consists in. 4a fastener plate lia-.fing an elongated body portion provided with attaching devices adjacent to its ends and having a central laterally directed web integral with the said body portion and having 'at one side an elongated ila engaging tongue which is extended paralle with closely .fidjacei'it to an end ci' said bodr portion.

' The invention also contemplates certain novel features ofthe construction and combinations and arrangements of the several parts' of the improved envelop faste-ner,` whereby certain important advantages are tive view siin attained and the device is rendered simpler,

cheaper' and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use,

inafterj fully set forth.

The nove features of the invention will be carefullydefined in the claims.

.In theaccoinpanying drawings which serve to illustrate my -inventionMFigurel is a perspeotiveview showing an envelop providedv ywitha fasteneif`constriictedaccording to my invention; Fi

l 2 vis a fragmentary.. perspecar to Fig. '1, but showing the fastenerl plate with its-flap-engaging tongues f ,Upbent'for engagement with the closing flap of the envelop; Fig. -3 is an enlarged erspec- A tive -view 'showing the fastener p ate de tached from the envelop'i'Fig.; fr is 'an' en ilargedi sectional 'view taken lengthwise he fastener plate and. envelop whereon the saine is secured,- and-fFig. 5 isa Specification of Letters Patent. l Application sied Juiy is, i907. serai N01 saliese.)

all .as will-be here! fparallel flap-engaging y extremities of said outwardly extendede'nds l VleW Shwisspainedid fermati@ Git-h s rnnr ori-Irren.

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' Pateate'giaun 2,"

improved fastener plate detached l' envelop. i if j Referring first-'to Figa l to llinclusive", 1 re resents an ordinary open-`end mailing en ve, op to which l have Ashown my improved fastener applied .for use, the/side 'flapstliereof being lap ed and secured'uponv 'each other along the ack of the envelop's'o as to a reinforced portion '2 "'dobledi'thickness whereon it is customary toi attachftlie fastener. 3 re reseirts the open en'd'iiapiofthev envelop' an 4 represents af'perfoiationpro.-

ducedtherein for the passage' of the'lpliant fla engaging tongues of the fas'tenerzin a we l known way.

The improved herein shown, 'from a piece ofthin pliant metal and comprises a'iiattened body pbr tion 5 of elongated formation with it's fppo-4 site lateral edges substantially parallel ywith* each other, and at the central part of thesaid body portion there is`*`cxtende'd a laterally' directed web orprojection 6, integral withthe body portion and carrying at* its opposite sides, alined flapengaginv'ton'gues 7 T'jwhic'ii are extended substantially parallel' ivithfand closely adj aoent to theends'of saidv elongated bodv portion 5, and which are normally-extended in thesame plane therewithj. as4 Seen in Figs: 1 and 3, butar'e-adaptedto bebent upwards at their connections with tlielwebor projection 6 so as to stand-parallel with each other and at right angles to the surface'fof the permit of being conveniently passed throughl the aperture 4 of theclosing ilap'when envelop is to be closed. f l

The length of the body portion 5' of thefas- 'body portion 5, as shown in Figs. 2 and tener plate is such that its ends are-caused to extend in oppositedirec'tions' beyond-the c'or-` responding and adjacent 'extremities ofthe tongues, 7', 7 and' @the of the body portion areherein shownasniade enlarged and rounded asseen at 8, Sgiat the` edge adjacent to the ends'ofthe tongiifes 7,7,

the said laterally extended enlargements 8, 8,'

eure attachment or the device to the envelop whereon it is secured. rlhis arrangement. Ialso permits of a material economy in the use of materialforfthe manufacture of the-im-f proved fasteners. The rounded. 'enlarge-V 'rnentszf 8, at the extremities of the outrio . f 70. fastener is produced, yas

` rial departure from the' principles and spirit envelop 1, and as taching means comprises eyelets 9, 9, inte'- taine Wardly extendedends of the body ortion of the improved fastener plate carry t e means for attaching said erein shown, the said atgrally produced at saidenlargements 8, 8, and extended therefrom in position vto be .passed through thematerial'of the envelop and to-fbe clenched or expanded inside Athe same as shown'at 10 in Fig. 4.

The arrangement ofthe improved fastener plate according to my invention With its attaching devices at the-'ends' of its body' por-' .tion "and vvjith a central laterally .directed web integral With the body portion andcarrying the flap engaging tonguesextendedparallelvwith the en s of said body portion affords afastenerof an extremely simple and effective character Which'is capable of being economically manufactured and is adaptedfor convenient use Without liability ofbeing torn from the envelop, particularly when the ends of the body ortion at which the attaching means are llbcated are extended beyond the ends of theflap-engaging tongues.

It Will'be evident from the above description that the improved envelo fastener' is especially Well adapted for :use y reason of its le and inexpensive nature and of the rea ine'ssf With which the Hap-engaging tongues may be upbent in positionfor use by reason of their arrangement at the side of the body. ortion, an added advantage being atci) on account of the security of attachnient to the envelop afforded 'by the divergence of the kends of the body portion Whereon the attaching means are carried, and

itwill also be obvious from the above descri tionthat the improvedfastener is susceptib e fof ,considerablc modification without mateofY thelnvention .and for this reason I do-not desire to be understood as limiting myself to .the precise form and arrangement of the deviceias herein set forth in carrying out my invention in V practice. For example, in some cases, the device mayl be advantageously made as shovvnm Fig, l5, A wherein the body portion has its ends 11, 11 thrown out of alinement but still parallel with each other,

Being integrally connected.. one With the other by means of the transverse orlaterally directed `Web 12 at their central parts. In this form `of thefastener, the flap-engagin tongues le, 14 u on th'e opposite sides of sai web arealso t own out of alinement with p late tothe `material of the' eachother, being arranged at opposite ends of said web 12 and each being alined with one I of the ends 1 1 of the body portion and extendwhich carry the attaching means for holding the device to the envelop.

, Having thus described my invention, what I. claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is-

1. A fastener adapted to be made out of a piece of sheet metal, comprising an elongated ody portion, tongues the bases of which spring integrally from the body portion at its center, said tongues when pressed apart from each other being adapted to lie in the lane of the body portion With their free en s adjacent to the body portion and extending oppositely towards the free ends of said body portion, Which' last named ends extend beyond the" ends of the tongues andare provided With integral eyelets.

2. A fastener adapted to be made out of a piece of sheet metal, comprising an elongated body portion, tongues 'the bases of which spring integrally from the body portion at its center, said tongues when pressed apart from each other being adapted to lie in the lane of the body portion with their free en sv adjacent to the body portion and extending oppositely towards the f ree ends of said body portion, Whichlast named ends extend lonffitudinally and laterally around the ends of tlie tongues and are there provided with means adapted to secur'e `the fastener to the object.

3. A fastener adapted lto be made out of a piece of sheet metal comprising two `stripike portions located side by side in the same plane and integrally connected at their middle portion, the free ends of one of said strip ortions being extended lon itudinally and iaterally around the free en s of the other strip portion and being there provided with means adapted to secure the fastener to the article.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my naine this lthday of July 1907, in the presence of Vtwo subscribing Witnesses.

EDWIN` B. STIMPSON. 

